Duplex terminal, duplex communication method, device and chip

Abstract

The invention discloses a duplex terminal, a duplex communication method, a duplex communication device and a chip, and relates to the field of communication. The terminal (900) comprises: a receiver (910); and a backscatter transmitter (920), the backscatter transmitter (920) being a transmitter that transmits information using backscatter. In the communication system, in the process that a receiver (910) receives a first signal, a backscattering transmitter (920) backscatters the first signal and transmits a second signal at the same time, and supports the second signal to occupy the same frequency as the first signal, thereby realizing the capability of receiving and transmitting signals at the same frequency at the same time. Full-duplex communication with relatively low complexity and relatively high flexibility at the terminal side is realized. And since the backscatter transmitter (920) is zero-power-consumption or low-power-consumption, full-duplex communication in a lower-power-consumption state is also achieved.

Description

Duplex terminal, duplex communication method, device and chip Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a duplex terminal, a duplex communication method, a device and a chip. Background Art

[0002] Full-duplex communication allows data to be transmitted in both directions simultaneously. For example, a terminal can simultaneously receive downlink data and send uplink data.

[0003] In mobile communication systems provided by related technologies, duplex terminals can operate in either frequency division duplex (FDD) or time division duplex (TDD) mode. In FDD mode, a terminal can transmit and receive simultaneously. To avoid interference between transmission and reception, the carriers used for transmission and reception must be different, and a certain interval must be maintained between the two. In TDD mode, a terminal can transmit and receive on the same carrier, but to avoid interference between transmission and reception, transmission and reception must occur at different times.

[0004] However, the above duplex terminals cannot perform transmission and reception operations at the same frequency and in the same time domain in either FDD or TDD mode, and cannot meet the communication requirements in certain scenarios.

[0005] Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention provides a duplex terminal, duplex communication method, device, and chip, and provides a duplex terminal based on backscatter technology that can support full-duplex communication with zero or low power consumption at the same frequency and in the same time domain. The technical solution is as follows:

[0007] According to one aspect of the present application, a duplex terminal is provided, comprising:

[0008] Receiver;

[0009] A backscatter transmitter is a transmitter that uses backscattering to transmit information.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present application, a duplex communication method is provided, which is performed by the duplex terminal as described above, and the method includes:

[0011] receiving a first signal via the receiver;

[0012] The first signal is backscattered by the backscatter transmitter to transmit a second signal.

[0013] According to one aspect of the present application, a duplex communication method is provided, which is performed by a network device. The method includes:

[0014] sending a first signal to a duplex terminal;

[0015] A second signal sent by the duplex terminal is received, where the second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal.

[0016] According to one aspect of the present application, a duplex communication device is provided, the device comprising:

[0017] A receiving module, configured to receive a first signal;

[0018] The backscatter transmission module is used to backscatter the first signal and transmit a second signal.

[0019] According to one aspect of the present application, a duplex communication device is provided, the device comprising:

[0020] The sending module is configured to send a first signal to a duplex terminal.

[0021] The receiving module is configured to receive a second signal sent by the duplex terminal, where the second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal.

[0022] According to one aspect of the present application, a terminal is provided, comprising: a processor; a receiver and a backscatter transmitter connected to the processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the duplex communication method as described in the above aspects.

[0023] According to one aspect of the present application, a network device is provided, comprising: a processor; a transmitter and a backscatter receiver connected to the processor; and a memory for storing executable instructions of the processor; wherein the processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the duplex communication method as described in the above aspects.

[0024] According to one aspect of the present application, a chip is provided, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and is used to implement the duplex communication method described above when a terminal having the chip is running.

[0025] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present application include at least the following beneficial effects:

[0026] By arranging a receiver and a backscatter transmitter within a duplex terminal, while the receiver receives a first signal, the backscatter transmitter backscatters the first signal to transmit a second signal. Furthermore, since the second signal occupies the same or partially the same frequency as the first signal, full-duplex communication, which supports simultaneous transmission and reception of signals on the same frequency, is achieved. This also helps improve the efficiency of spectrum resource utilization, conserving spectrum resources used by individual terminals and accommodating more terminals within a unit of spectrum resource. Furthermore, since the backscatter transmitter consumes zero or low power, full-duplex communication is achieved in a low-power state, effectively reducing terminal energy consumption and increasing terminal battery life. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present application, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the description of the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without any creative work.

[0028] FIG1 is a schematic diagram of a zero-power communication system in the related art;

[0029] FIG2 is a schematic diagram of a radio frequency energy harvesting method in the related art;

[0030] FIG3 is a schematic diagram of a backscatter communication process in the related art;

[0031] FIG4 is a schematic diagram of a resistive load modulation in the related art;

[0032] FIG5 is a schematic diagram of an encoding method in related art;

[0033] FIG6 is a schematic diagram of an environmental backscattering system in the related art;

[0034] FIG7 is a schematic diagram of a symbiotic communication system in the related art;

[0035] FIG8 is a schematic diagram of a signal relationship between a master and a slave system in a symbiotic communication system in the related art;

[0036] FIG9 is a schematic diagram of a duplex terminal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0037] FIG10 is a schematic diagram of a duplex terminal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0038] FIG11 is a schematic diagram of a duplex terminal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0039] FIG12 is a schematic diagram of a duplex terminal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0040] FIG13 is a schematic diagram of a duplex terminal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0041] FIG14 is a schematic diagram of a duplex terminal provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0042] FIG15 is a flow chart of a duplex communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0043] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of a duplex communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0044] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of a duplex communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0045] FIG18 is a schematic diagram of a duplex communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0046] FIG19 is a schematic diagram of a duplex communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0047] FIG20 is a schematic diagram of a duplex communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0048] FIG21 is a flow chart of a duplex communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0049] FIG22 is a structural block diagram of a duplex communication device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0050] FIG23 is a structural block diagram of a duplex communication device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0051] FIG24 is a schematic structural diagram of a duplex communication device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application;

[0052] FIG25 is a schematic structural diagram of a duplex communication device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0053] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present application more clear, the embodiments of the present application will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Exemplary embodiments will be described in detail herein, with examples shown in the accompanying drawings. When the following description refers to the drawings, unless otherwise indicated, the same numbers in different drawings represent the same or similar elements. The embodiments described in the following exemplary embodiments do not represent all embodiments consistent with the present application. Instead, they are merely examples of devices and methods consistent with certain aspects of the present application, as detailed in the appended claims.

[0054] The terms used in this disclosure are for the purpose of describing specific embodiments only and are not intended to limit the disclosure. As used in this disclosure and the appended claims, the singular forms "a," "an," "the," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should also be understood that the term "and / or" as used herein refers to and encompasses any and all possible combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0055] It should be understood that although the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used in this disclosure to describe various information, such information should not be limited to these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish information of the same type from each other. For example, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, first information may also be referred to as second information, and similarly, second information may also be referred to as first information. Depending on the context, the word "if" as used herein may be interpreted as "at the time of" or "when" or "in response to determining."

[0056] FIG1 shows a schematic diagram of a zero-power communication system 100 . The zero-power communication system 100 includes a network device 120 and a zero-power terminal 140 .

[0057] The network device 120 is used to send wireless power supply signals, downlink communication signals and receive backscatter signals from the zero-power terminal 140 to the zero-power terminal 140. The zero-power terminal 140 includes an energy collection module 141, a backscatter communication module 142 and a low-power computing module 143. The energy collection module 141 can collect energy carried by radio waves in space, and is used to drive the low-power computing module 143 of the zero-power terminal 140 and realize backscatter communication. After the zero-power terminal 140 obtains energy, it can receive control signaling from the network device 120 and send data to the network device 120 based on backscattering according to the control signaling. The data sent can come from data stored in the zero-power terminal itself (such as an identity identifier or pre-written information, such as the production date, brand, manufacturer, etc. of the product).

[0058] Zero-power terminal 140 may also include a sensor module 144 and a memory 145. Sensor module 144 may include various sensors, and zero-power terminal 140 may report data collected by these sensors based on a zero-power mechanism. Memory 145 is used to store basic information (such as item identification) or obtain sensor data such as ambient temperature and humidity.

[0059] The zero-power terminal itself does not require a battery, and at the same time, the low-power computing module 143 can realize simple signal demodulation, decoding or encoding, modulation and other simple calculation tasks. Therefore, the zero-power module only requires a very simple hardware design, making the zero-power device very low in cost and small in size.

[0060] Next, we will introduce the key technologies of zero-power communication:

[0061] Radio Frequency Power Harvesting

[0062] Figure 2 shows the principle diagram of RF energy harvesting. RF energy harvesting is based on the principle of electromagnetic induction, using the RF module RF through electromagnetic induction and maintaining a parallel relationship with the capacitor C and the load resistor R L The connection is established to collect electromagnetic wave energy in space and obtain the energy required to drive the zero-power terminal, such as driving the low-power demodulation module, modulation module, sensor and memory reading. Therefore, the zero-power terminal does not require traditional batteries.

[0063] Back Scattering

[0064] Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of the backscatter communication process. The zero-power terminal 140 receives a wireless signal carrier 131 sent by the network device 120's transmit module (TX) 121 using an asynchronous mapping procedure (AMP) 122. It modulates the wireless signal carrier 131, loads the information to be transmitted using a logic processing module 147, and harvests radio frequency energy using an energy harvesting module 141. The zero-power terminal 140 uses an antenna 146 to radiate the modulated reflected signal 132. This information transmission process is called backscatter communication. The network device 120's receive module (RX) 123 uses a low-noise amplifier (LNA) 124 to receive the modulated reflected signal 132. Backscatter and load modulation are closely related. Load modulation achieves this by adjusting and controlling the circuit parameters of the zero-power terminal 140's oscillator circuit according to the data stream's rhythm, causing parameters such as the electronic tag's impedance to change accordingly.

[0065] Load modulation technology mainly includes resistance load modulation and capacitance load modulation. Figure 4 shows the principle diagram of resistance load modulation. In resistance load modulation, the load resistor R L The third resistor R3 is connected in parallel, and the switch S based on the binary code control is turned on or off. The on and off of the third resistor R3 will cause the voltage on the circuit to change. The load resistor R L Maintaining a parallel connection relationship with the first capacitor C1, the load resistor R LMaintain a series connection relationship with the second resistor R2, and the second resistor R2 maintains a series connection relationship with the first inductor L1. The first inductor L1 is coupled to the second inductor L2, and the second inductor L2 maintains a series connection relationship with the second capacitor C2. Amplitude Shift Keying (ASK) modulation can be achieved, that is, the modulation and transmission of the signal are achieved by adjusting the amplitude of the backscattered signal of the zero-power terminal. Similarly, in capacitive load modulation, the resonant frequency of the circuit can be changed by turning the capacitor on and off, and frequency shift keying (FSK) modulation can be achieved, that is, the modulation and transmission of the signal are achieved by adjusting the operating frequency of the backscattered signal of the zero-power terminal.

[0066] Zero-power terminals utilize load modulation to modulate incoming signals, enabling backscatter communication. These terminals offer significant advantages: they don't actively transmit signals, eliminating the need for complex RF links like PAs and RF filters. They don't actively generate high-frequency signals, eliminating the need for high-frequency crystal oscillators. Backscatter communication allows signal transmission without consuming the terminal's own energy.

[0067] Next, the encoding method of zero-power communication is introduced:

[0068] Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the encoding method. The data transmitted by the electronic tag can use different forms of code to represent binary "1" and "0." Radio frequency identification systems typically use one of the following encoding methods: non-return to zero (NRZ) encoding, Manchester encoding, unipolar return to zero (URZ) encoding, differential binary phase (DBP) encoding, Miller encoding, and differential encoding. That is, different pulse signals can be used to represent 0 and 1.

[0069] ·NRZ encoding; Inverse non-return-to-zero encoding uses a high level to represent a binary "1" and a low level to represent a binary "0". Figure 5 shows a level diagram of encoding binary data: 101100101001011 using the NRZ method.

[0070] Manchester encoding: Manchester encoding is also known as split-phase coding. In Manchester encoding, a binary value is represented by a voltage level change (rising or falling) during half a bit period within the bit length. A negative transition during half a bit period represents a binary "1," and a positive transition during half a bit period represents a binary "0." Data transmission errors occur when multiple tags simultaneously transmit data bits with different values, causing the received rising and falling edges to cancel each other, resulting in an uninterrupted carrier signal throughout the entire bit length. Manchester encoding makes it impossible to have an unchanging state within the bit length. The reader can use this error to determine the specific location of the collision. Manchester encoding facilitates data transmission error detection and is commonly used for data transmission from tags to readers when using carrier load modulation or backscatter modulation. Figure 5 shows a schematic diagram of the voltage levels for binary data 101100101001011 encoded using the Manchester method.

[0071] ·URZ encoding; unipolar return-to-zero encoding: a high level in the first half of the bit period represents a binary "1", while a low level signal that lasts throughout the entire bit period represents a binary "1". Figure 5 shows a level diagram of encoding binary data: 101100101001011 using the URZ method.

[0072] DBP encoding: Differential biphase encoding uses any edge within half a bit period to represent a binary "0," while the absence of an edge represents a binary "1." Furthermore, the voltage level is inverted at the beginning of each bit period. This makes the bit beat easier for the receiver to reconstruct. Figure 5 shows the voltage levels of the binary data 101100101001011 encoded using the DBP method.

[0073] Miller coding: In Miller coding, any edge within half a bit period represents a binary "1," while a constant level throughout the next bit period represents a binary "0." The level transition at the beginning of a bit period makes it easier for the receiver to reconstruct the bit beat. Figure 5 shows the level diagram of the binary data 101100101001011 encoded using the Miller method.

[0074] Differential encoding: In differential encoding, each transmitted binary "1" causes a change in the signal level, while for a binary "0" the signal level remains unchanged.

[0075] Next, we will introduce the zero-power terminal in detail:

[0076] Based on the energy source and usage of zero-power terminals, zero-power terminals can be divided into the following types:

[0077] Passive zero-power terminal;

[0078] A zero-power terminal does not require an internal battery. When the terminal approaches a network device, it is within the near field radiated by the network device's antenna. For example, the network device is a reader / writer in a radio frequency identification (RFID) system. Therefore, the zero-power terminal's antenna generates an induced current through electromagnetic induction, which drives the terminal's low-power chip circuit. This performs tasks such as demodulating forward link signals and modulating reverse link signals. For backscatter links, the zero-power terminal uses backscattering to transmit signals. Passive zero-power terminals do not require an internal battery for either the forward or reverse link, making them true zero-power terminals. Passive zero-power terminals do not require a battery, and their RF and baseband circuits are very simple. For example, they do not require components such as a low-noise amplifier (LNA), power amplifier (PA), crystal oscillator, or analog-to-digital converter (ADC). They offer numerous advantages, including small size, light weight, very low price, and a long service life.

[0079] Semi-passive zero-power terminal;

[0080] Semi-passive zero-power terminals do not have conventional batteries. Instead, they use a radio frequency energy harvesting module to collect radio wave energy and store it in an energy storage unit, typically a capacitor. This energy storage unit then drives the low-power chip circuitry of the zero-power terminal, performing tasks such as demodulating forward link signals and modulating backward link signals. For backscatter links, the zero-power terminal uses backscattering to transmit signals.

[0081] Semi-passive zero-power terminals require no internal batteries for either forward or reverse link operation. Instead, the energy stored in capacitors is derived from radio energy harvested by the RF energy harvesting module, making them truly zero-power terminals. They inherit many of the advantages of passive zero-power terminals, including small size, light weight, very affordable price, and long service life.

[0082] Active zero-power terminal;

[0083] In some scenarios, zero-power terminals can also be active zero-power terminals, which can have built-in batteries. The battery drives the low-power chip circuitry in the zero-power terminal, enabling tasks such as demodulating forward link signals and modulating reverse link signals. However, for backscatter links, the zero-power terminal uses backscattering to transmit signals. Therefore, the zero-power nature of active zero-power terminals is primarily due to the fact that reverse link signal transmission does not require the terminal's own power, but instead uses backscattering. In active zero-power terminals, the built-in battery powers the RFID chip, increasing the tag's read and write range and improving communication reliability. Therefore, they are suitable for scenarios with relatively high requirements for communication distance and read latency.

[0084] With the development of the communications industry, especially the increasing application of 5G in the industry, the types of connected objects and application scenarios are increasing, and higher requirements will be placed on the price and power consumption of communication terminals. The application of battery-free, low-cost passive IoT devices has become a key technology for cellular IoT. They can enrich the types and number of network-connected terminals and truly realize the interconnection of everything. Passive IoT devices can be based on zero-power communication technologies such as RFID technology, and can be extended to suit cellular IoT.

[0085] Next, we will introduce the integration of zero-power communication and symbiotic communication in detail:

[0086] In a typical ambient backscatter communication system, zero-power terminals can utilize radio waves in space to achieve backscatter communication. As shown in Figure 6, a router 620 and a smart device 610 form a master communication system, while a zero-power terminal 630 performs backscatter modulation on the downlink signal sent by router 620, thereby transmitting its own information to a reader 640. The zero-power terminal 630 and reader 640 form a slave communication system powered by backscatter communication technology. Due to its potential application value, backscatter communication was named one of the top ten technological breakthroughs in 2016 by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Technology Review.

[0087] However, in the aforementioned ambient backscatter communication system, since backscattering and the master system use the same spectrum, the slave system's communications will interfere with the master system's communication link. Specifically, the backscattered signal from the zero-power terminal 630 will be mixed with the master system's signal, interfering with the master system's receiver. In this case, while the slave system benefits from backscattering, data transmission to the master system may be impaired.

[0088] To address these issues, the concept of symbiotic communication was proposed. Based on environmental backscatter, symbiotic communication, through effective coordination between master and slave communication systems, not only eliminates interference from backscatter signals generated by slave systems on the master system but also transforms the backscatter signals into signals that benefit the master system.

[0089] In the symbiotic communication system model shown in Figure 7, the primary transmitter (PTx) and the primary receiver (PRx) constitute the primary communication system. The secondary transmitter (STx) and the secondary receiver (SRx) constitute the secondary communication system. STx uses the signal transmitted by PTx to implement reflection scattering modulation. The most critical requirement is that the chip width Cp of the signal backscattered by the slave system and the chip width Cs of the signal from the master system must satisfy a K-fold relationship, i.e., Cp = K * Cs, as shown in Figure 8. Therefore, the backscattered signal does not change within the time domain interval corresponding to K chips of the master system. Therefore, when the master system performs coherent demodulation in units of K chips, the backscattered signal from the slave system is equivalent to a multipath signal mixed in with the master system's main received signal. Therefore, through this constraint, the slave system, while relying on the master system's signal for backscattering to complete its own communication, not only does it not interfere with the master system, but it also improves the performance of the master system by providing multipath signals. Since the subtle relationship between the master-slave communication system is similar to the symbiotic relationship in biology, the above communication system model is named symbiotic communication.

[0090] Symbiotic communication solves both the wireless energy supply and spectrum issues associated with zero-power communication, enabling it to share and coexist effectively with traditional communications within the same spectrum. Therefore, symbiotic communication is expected to become an important enabler of zero-power communication.

[0091] It should be understood that in some embodiments of the present application, "5G" may also be referred to as "5G NR" or "NR".

[0092] It should be understood that the "indication" mentioned in the embodiments of this application can be a direct indication, an indirect indication, or an indication of an association. For example, "A indicates B" can mean that A directly indicates B, for example, B can be obtained through A; it can also mean that A indirectly indicates B, for example, A indicates C, and B can be obtained through C; it can also mean that there is an association between A and B.

[0093] It should be understood that in the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "corresponding" may indicate a direct or indirect correspondence between the two, or an association relationship between the two, or a relationship between indication and being indicated, configuration and being configured, etc.

[0094] In the embodiments of the present application, "predefined" can be implemented by pre-storing corresponding codes, tables, or other methods that can be used to indicate relevant information in a device (for example, a terminal device and a network device). The present application does not limit the specific implementation method. For example, predefined can refer to information defined in a protocol.

[0095] In the embodiments of the present application, the “protocol” may refer to a standard protocol in the communications field, for example, it may include an LTE protocol, an NR protocol, and related protocols used in future communication systems, and the present application does not limit this.

[0096] The technical solutions described in some embodiments of the present application can be applicable to various communication systems, such as: Global System of Mobile communication (GSM) system, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) system, Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) system, General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, Advanced long term evolution (LTE-A) system, New Radio (NR) system, NR system evolution system, LTE on unlicensed spectrum (LTE-U) system, NR on unlicensed spectrum (NR-U) system, Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) system, Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), Wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN), Wireless Fidelity (Wireless Fidelity) system. Fidelity, WiFi), fifth-generation communication (5th-Generation, 5G) system, cellular Internet of Things system, cellular passive Internet of Things system, and can also be applied to subsequent evolution systems of 5G NR system, and can also be applied to 6G and subsequent evolution systems.

[0097] FIG9 shows a schematic structural diagram of a duplex terminal 900 provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The duplex terminal 900 includes a receiver 910 and a backscatter transmitter 920 .

[0098] The duplex terminal 900 includes but is not limited to: handheld devices, wearable devices, vehicle-mounted devices and Internet of Things devices, etc. The duplex terminal 900 can be at least one of a mobile phone, a tablet computer, an e-book reader, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a television, a game console, an augmented reality (AR) terminal, a virtual reality (VR) terminal and a mixed reality (MR) terminal, a wearable device, a handle, an electronic tag and a controller, etc.

[0099] The receiver 910 is configured to receive a first signal sent by a network device or other node, such as a router, a power supply device, or a peer device.

[0100] Backscatter transmitter 920 is configured to backscatter the first signal and transmit a second signal. Optionally, backscatter transmitter 920 backscatters a portion of the first signal and transmits the second signal. That is, while receiver 910 is receiving another portion of the first signal, backscatter transmitter 920 also backscatters a portion of the first signal and transmits the second signal, thereby achieving full-duplex communication with simultaneous transmission and reception of signals. The portion of the backscattered first signal is part of the first signal that was not received by receiver 910.

[0101] For example, when a first signal arrives at the antenna of duplex terminal 900, the circuit state of backscatter transmitter 920 is adjusted to place backscatter transmitter 920 in an impedance mismatch state. Backscatter transmitter 920 backscatters a portion of the first signal and transmits a second signal while receiver 910 receives another portion of the first signal. The portion of the first signal backscattered by backscatter transmitter 920 is part of the first signal that is not received by receiver 910.

[0102] In some embodiments, the receiver 910 and the backscatter transmitter 920 share the same antenna. Schematically, as shown in FIG10 , there is one antenna 930. The receiver 910 and the backscatter transmitter 920 share the same antenna 930.

[0103] 11 , there are two antennas 930 , including a first antenna 931 and a second antenna 932 . The receiver 910 is connected to the first antenna 931 , and the backscatter transmitter 920 is connected to the second antenna 932 .

[0104] In some embodiments, there are at least two backscatter transmitters 920; or, at least two backscatter transmission units are integrated into the backscatter transmitter 920.

[0105] In some embodiments, the antenna 930 is disposed outside the receiver 910 and the backscatter transmitter 920 ; alternatively, the antenna 930 is integrated into the receiver 910 and / or the backscatter transmitter 920 .

[0106] In some embodiments, the duplex terminal 900 reports capability information to the network device, where the capability information is used to indicate that the duplex terminal 900 supports full-duplex communication capability based on backscattering, so that the network device can select an appropriate transmission mode based on service requirements in different situations. For example, in a scenario where the network device is not suitable for configuring uplink (UL) transmission resources, such as UL time slots, but expects the terminal to transmit UL signals, the network device schedules the duplex terminal 900 with full-duplex communication capability to transmit UL signals using backscattering. At the same time, the network device schedules the duplex terminal 900 for downlink (DL) data transmission, so that the duplex terminal 900 can simultaneously receive DL signals and transmit UL signals.

[0107] In some embodiments, the node or network device that sends the first signal and the node or network device that receives the second signal are the same as or different from each other.

[0108] In some embodiments, the duplex terminal 900 performs full-duplex communication with the network device, and / or the duplex terminal 900 performs full-duplex communication with other nodes other than the network device. Optionally, the other nodes include a peer terminal.

[0109] In summary, by setting up a receiver and a backscatter transmitter in a duplex terminal, while the receiver receives the first signal, the backscatter transmitter backscatters the first signal and transmits the second signal, thereby achieving full-duplex communication with low complexity on the terminal side and receiving and sending signals at the same time, and supporting receiving and sending operations at the same frequency and in the same domain, achieving full-duplex communication in the true sense, which is significantly different from the duplex terminals in the related art that can only receive signals or only send signals at the same time. In addition, since the second signal is supported to occupy the same or partially the same frequency as the first signal, while achieving full-duplex communication that supports receiving and sending signals at the same frequency, it is also beneficial to improve the utilization efficiency of spectrum resources, save the spectrum resources used by a single terminal, and facilitate accommodating more terminals in a unit spectrum resource. In addition, since the backscatter transmitter is zero power or low power, full-duplex communication in a lower power state is also achieved, effectively reducing terminal energy consumption and improving terminal life.

[0110] Using the same antenna for signal reception and backscattering can save costs. Using different antennas for signal reception and backscattering can help reduce signal interference. Furthermore, by adjusting the backscatter signal transmission frequency and backscattering method, full-duplex communication flexibility can be improved, signal reception performance can be guaranteed, and full-duplex communication requirements in various scenarios can be met.

[0111] The duplex terminal 900 may also be implemented in various ways. In some embodiments, the receiver 910 includes at least one of a master receiver and a slave receiver. The slave receiver consumes less power than the master receiver. In other embodiments, the duplex terminal 900 further includes a master transmitter.

[0112] As shown in FIG12 , the duplex terminal 900 includes: a master receiver 911 , an ultra-low power consumption (slave) receiver 912 , a master transmitter 940 , and a backscatter transmitter 920 .

[0113] The main receiver 911 can be used to receive the first signal sent by the network device or other node. The main receiver 911 can have strong information processing capabilities, such as supporting broadband, high-speed information reception and processing, etc. For example, the main receiver 911 can be a Long-Term Evolution (LTE) terminal receiver, a New Radio (NR) terminal receiver, or a future 6G and subsequent terminal receiver. The ultra-low power receiver 912 is used to receive the first signal sent by the network device or other node. The ultra-low power receiver 912 has relatively low information processing capabilities, such as only supporting narrowband, low-speed information reception and processing, etc. The ultra-low power receiver 912 can be used when receiving a small amount of information to save terminal power consumption. In some embodiments, the ultra-low power receiver 912 can also be a zero-power receiver.

[0114] Compared to the main receiver 911, the ultra-low power receiver 912 is a receiver with extremely low or even zero power consumption. It uses similar technologies to RFID, such as passive, envelope detection, and energy harvesting. The ultra-low power receiver 912 can be activated and provided with energy by a wireless radio frequency signal to drive the ultra-low power receiver 912 to receive the first signal. The first signal is sent on an LTE channel, an NR channel, or future 6G and subsequent channels. Among them, channels can be divided according to different classification standards. For example, according to the transmission direction of the signal, the channels include uplink channels, downlink channels, and side channels; for another example, according to the purpose of the signal, the channels include data channels, feedback channels, control channels, broadcast channels, and random access channels. Exemplarily, the first signal is carried on a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), or the first signal is carried on a physical downlink shared channel (PDSCH), or the first signal is a sidelink signal, or the first signal is a WI-FI signal, or the first signal is a Bluetooth signal. Optionally, the first signal is an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal.

[0115] The primary transmitter 940 is used to transmit the third signal to a network device or other node. The primary transmitter 940 has strong information processing capabilities, such as supporting broadband, high-rate information encoding, modulation, and transmission. For example, the primary transmitter 940 can be an LTE terminal transmitter, a NR terminal transmitter, or a future 6G and subsequent terminal receiver.

[0116] The backscatter transmitter 920 supports sending the second signal using backscattering. The backscatter transmitter 920 cannot generate the second signal independently, but needs to modulate and reflect the received first signal to generate the second signal carrying the information to be sent.

[0117] The master receiver 911 and the ultra-low power receiver 912 are collectively referred to as receiver 910. Optionally, receiver 910 includes the master receiver 911 and / or the ultra-low power receiver 912. This embodiment uses an example where receiver 910 includes both receivers. The ultra-low power receiver 912 is also referred to as a slave receiver, and its power consumption is lower than that of the master receiver 911.

[0118] In some embodiments, the duplex terminal 900 further includes an antenna 930 , which is connected to the receiver 910 and the backscatter transmitter 920 .

[0119] In some embodiments, the antenna 930 is a single antenna, and the main receiver 911 , the ultra-low power receiver 912 , the main transmitter 940 , and the backscatter transmitter 920 share the antenna 930 .

[0120] In some embodiments, antenna 930 is a dual antenna, including a first antenna 931 and a second antenna 932. The backscatter transmitter 920 and the receiver 910 may or may not share the same antenna, and the antenna usage of the main transmitter 940 is not limited in this application. Schematically, the main receiver 911 and the ultra-low power receiver 912 are connected to the first antenna 931, and the main transmitter 940 and the backscatter transmitter 920 are connected to the second antenna 932. Alternatively, the main receiver 911 and the main transmitter 940 are connected to the first antenna 931, and the ultra-low power receiver 912 and the backscatter transmitter 920 are connected to the second antenna 932. Alternatively, the main receiver 911, the main transmitter 940, and the ultra-low power receiver 912 are connected to the first antenna 931, and the backscatter transmitter 920 is connected to the second antenna 932. Alternatively, the main receiver 911 is connected to the first antenna 931, and the backscatter transmitter 920, the main transmitter 940, and the ultra-low power receiver 912 are connected to the second antenna 932. Alternatively, the main receiver 911, the main transmitter 940, and the backscatter transmitter 920 are connected to the first antenna 931, and the ultra-low power receiver 912 is connected to the second antenna 932.

[0121] In some embodiments, antenna 930 comprises three antennas, including a first antenna 931, a second antenna 932, and a third antenna 943. The backscatter transmitter 920 and the receiver 910 may or may not share the same antenna, and the antenna usage of the main transmitter 940 is not limited in this application. Illustratively, the main receiver 911 is connected to the first antenna 931, the main transmitter 940 and the backscatter transmitter 920 are connected to the second antenna 932, and the ultra-low power receiver 912 is connected to the third antenna 943. Alternatively, the ultra-low power receiver 912 is connected to the first antenna 931, the main transmitter 940 and the backscatter transmitter 920 are connected to the second antenna 932, and the main receiver 911 is connected to the third antenna 943. Alternatively, the main receiver 911 and the ultra-low power receiver 912 are connected to the first antenna 931, the backscatter transmitter 920 is connected to the second antenna 932, and the main transmitter 940 is connected to the third antenna 943.

[0122] In some embodiments, the antenna 930 includes four antennas, and the main receiver 911 , the ultra-low power receiver 912 , the main transmitter 940 , and the backscatter transmitter 920 are connected to the four antennas respectively.

[0123] In some embodiments, there are at least two backscatter transmitters in the duplex terminal 900 , or at least two backscatter transmission units are integrated in the backscatter transmitter 920 .

[0124] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG13 , the duplex terminal 900 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 950 for performing calculations and logic operations. The main receiver 911 , the ultra-low power receiver 912 , the main transmitter 940 , and the backscatter transmitter 920 are all connected to the CPU 950 .

[0125] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG14 , a duplex terminal 900 includes two CPUs: a first CPU 951 and a second CPU 952. The second CPU 952 consumes less power than the first CPU 951, and the first CPU 951 and the second CPU 952 can communicate with each other. Schematically, the main receiver 911 and the main transmitter 940 are connected to the first CPU 951, and the ultra-low power receiver 912 and the backscatter transmitter 920 are connected to the second CPU 952. Alternatively, the main receiver 911 and the ultra-low power receiver 912 are connected to the first CPU 951, and the main transmitter 940 and the backscatter transmitter 920 are connected to the second CPU 952. Alternatively, the main receiver 911, the main transmitter 940, and the backscatter transmitter 920 are connected to the first CPU 951, and the ultra-low power receiver 912 is connected to the second CPU 952.

[0126] In some embodiments, the duplex terminal 900 includes three CPUs, including a first CPU 951, a second CPU 952, and a third CPU 953. Schematically, the main receiver 911 is connected to the first CPU 951, the main transmitter 940 and the backscatter transmitter 920 are connected to the second CPU 952, and the ultra-low power receiver 912 is connected to the third CPU 953. Alternatively, the ultra-low power receiver 912 is connected to the first CPU 951, the main transmitter 940 and the backscatter transmitter 920 are connected to the second CPU 952, and the main receiver 911 is connected to the third CPU 953. Alternatively, the main receiver 911 and the ultra-low power receiver 912 are connected to the first CPU 951, the backscatter transmitter 920 is connected to the second CPU 952, and the main transmitter 940 is connected to the third CPU 953.

[0127] In some embodiments, the duplex terminal 900 includes four CPUs, and the main receiver 911 , the ultra-low power receiver 912 , the main transmitter 940 , and the backscatter transmitter 920 are connected to the four CPUs respectively.

[0128] In some embodiments, when the duplex terminal 900 is busy sending and receiving signals, the first CPU and the second CPU work simultaneously to improve the efficiency of signal sending and receiving; when the duplex terminal 900 is not busy sending and receiving signals or only needs to receive a small amount of information, the first CPU 951 stops working and the second CPU 952 takes over, thereby reducing resource loss when the duplex terminal 900 is working and saving costs.

[0129] In summary, the terminal provided in this embodiment, while receiving signals through the receiver, transmits signals by means of backscattering, thereby realizing full-duplex communication of receiving and sending signals at the same time, and supporting receiving and sending operations at the same frequency and the same domain, realizing full-duplex communication in the true sense, which is significantly different from the duplex terminals in the related art that can only receive signals or can only send signals at the same time. Since the second signal is supported to occupy the same or partially the same frequency as the first signal, while realizing full-duplex communication that supports receiving and sending signals at the same frequency, it is also beneficial to improve the utilization efficiency of spectrum resources, save the spectrum resources used by a single terminal, and facilitate accommodating more terminals in a unit of spectrum resources. And because the backscatter transmitter is zero power or low power, full-duplex communication in a lower power consumption state is also realized, effectively reducing terminal energy consumption and improving terminal life.

[0130] Using the same antenna for signal reception and backscattering can save costs. Using different antennas for signal reception and backscattering can improve signal reception performance. Furthermore, by adjusting the backscatter signal transmission frequency and backscattering method, the flexibility of full-duplex communication can be improved, signal reception performance can be guaranteed, and communication needs in different scenarios can be met.

[0131] FIG15 shows a flowchart of a duplex communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is described by taking the duplex terminal 900 as an example, and the method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0132] Step 152: Receive a first signal via a receiver;

[0133] In this embodiment, the receiver is a master receiver and / or a slave receiver, and the slave receiver is also called an ultra-low power consumption receiver. The receiver receives a first signal sent by a network device or other node.

[0134] Step 154: Transmit a second signal via the backscatter transmitter.

[0135] The backscatter transmitter supports information transmission using backscattering. The backscatter transmitter modulates and reflects a first signal that is not received by the receiver, thereby transmitting a second signal. The backscatter transmitter transmits the second signal to a network device or other node.

[0136] The first signal is carried and sent on LTE channels, NR channels, or future 6G and subsequent channels. Channels can be categorized based on different criteria. For example, based on the direction of signal transmission, channels include uplink channels, downlink channels, and sidelink channels. Another example is based on the purpose of the signal, channels include data channels, feedback channels, control channels, broadcast channels, and random access channels.

[0137] Exemplarily, the first signal adopts a first transmission mode, and the second signal adopts a second transmission mode. The first transmission mode and the second transmission mode use at least one different receiver, waveform, modulation mode, coding, and multiple access mode.

[0138] The modulation modes of the first transmission mode and the second transmission mode include any one of ASK modulation, FSK modulation, binary phase-shift keying (2PSK) modulation, orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) modulation, quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulation, and quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

[0139] ASK is a digital modulation scheme in which the carrier amplitude varies with the digital baseband signal. When the digital baseband signal is binary, it is called binary amplitude keying (2ASK). 2ASK, also known as on-off keying or on-off keying (OOK), uses a unipolar non-return-to-zero code sequence to control the on-off switching of the mainline carrier. Optionally, ASK also includes 4ASK and 8ASK, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0140] FSK is a digital modulation method in which the carrier frequency varies with the digital baseband signal. When the digital baseband signal is binary, it is called binary frequency shift keying (2FSK). 2FSK transmits information by converting two different carrier signals into digital signals. The state of the transmitted information is represented by changes in the carrier frequency. The frequency of the modulated carrier changes with the binary sequence of 0s and 1s. Optionally, FSK also includes 4FSK, 8FSK, and other methods, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0141] Phase-shift keying (PSK) is a digital modulation technique in which the phase of a carrier wave varies with the digital baseband signal. 2PSK, the simplest form of PSK, uses two carrier waves with an initial phase difference of 180 degrees to transmit binary information. It is also called binary phase shift keying (BPSK). QPSK, quaternary phase shift keying, uses four different phase differences of the carrier wave to represent the input digital information.

[0142] OFDM is a type of multi-carrier modulation (MCM). Its main principle is to divide the channel into several orthogonal sub-channels, convert high-speed data signals into parallel low-speed sub-data streams, and modulate them onto each sub-channel for transmission. OFDM includes V-OFDM, W-OFDM, F-OFDM, MIMO-OFDM, and multi-band OFDM, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0143] QAM is a double-sideband modulation technique that uses two independent baseband digital signals to suppress the broadcast of two mutually orthogonal, co-frequency carriers. This technique exploits the orthogonal spectrum of these modulated signals within the same bandwidth to achieve two parallel digital information transmission paths. It combines multi-level digital amplitude modulation (MASK) with multi-level digital phase shift keying (MPSK), doubling the bandwidth.

[0144] It should be noted that the examples of the modulation mode of the first transmission mode and the modulation mode of the second transmission mode in the above embodiments are only examples and should not constitute any limitation to this application. It does not exclude the use of other existing or future-defined modulation modes to generate the first transmission mode or the second transmission mode.

[0145] The coding methods of the first transmission mode and the second transmission mode include any one of inverse non-return-to-zero coding, Manchester coding, unipolar return-to-zero coding, differential bi-phase coding, Miller coding, differential coding, new block (Reed-Muller, RM) code, tail biting convolutional code (Tail Biting CC, TBCC), Turbo code, outer code, low density parity check code (Low Density Parity Check Code, LDPC), and Polar code.

[0146] The multiple access modes of the first transmission mode and the second transmission mode include any one of frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), and discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-Spread OFDM, DFTS-OFDM).

[0147] It should be understood that different modulation methods generate different signal waveforms. In the embodiment of the present application, the modulation methods of the first signal and the second signal are different, so the waveforms of the first signal and the second signal are different.

[0148] In some embodiments, the backscatter transmitter modulates and reflects the first signal not received by the receiver to transmit the second signal; or, the backscatter transmitter modulates and reflects the portion of the first signal not received by the receiver to transmit the second signal.

[0149] In some embodiments, the backscatter transmitter modulates and reflects the first signal that is not received by the receiver to transmit a second signal; or, the backscatter transmitter modulates and reflects the first signal that is not received by the receiver to transmit multiple subcarrier signals, which constitute the second signal.

[0150] In some embodiments, step 152 and step 154 ​​are performed simultaneously, that is, the duplex terminal 900 backscatters the second signal while receiving the first signal.

[0151] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment, while receiving a signal through a receiver, reflects all or part of the received signal through a backscatter transmitter, thereby realizing simultaneous reception and transmission of information, and supporting receiving and transmitting operations at the same frequency and in the same domain, realizing true full-duplex communication, and improving the flexibility of backscattering, which is significantly different from the duplex communication method in the related art that can only receive signals or only transmit signals at the same time. Since the second signal is supported to occupy the same or partially the same frequency as the first signal, while realizing full-duplex communication that supports simultaneous receiving and transmitting signals at the same frequency, it is also beneficial to improve the utilization efficiency of spectrum resources, save the spectrum resources used by a single terminal, and facilitate accommodating more terminals in a unit of spectrum resources. And since the backscatter transmitter is zero power or low power, full-duplex communication in a lower power consumption state is also realized, effectively reducing terminal energy consumption and improving terminal life.

[0152] Based on the number of antennas that transmit and receive signals simultaneously, the duplex communication methods in this application can be divided into at least two categories:

[0153] Type 1: Use the same antenna for signal reception and backscattering;

[0154] Type 2: Use different antennas for signal reception and backscattering.

[0155] Type 1: Embodiment using the same antenna for signal reception and backscattering

[0156] FIG16 is a schematic diagram of a duplex communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is performed by a network device 160 and a duplex terminal 900. The duplex terminal 900 includes a main receiver 911, an ultra-low power receiver 912, a main transmitter 940, a backscatter transmitter 920, and an antenna 930.

[0157] In this embodiment, the duplex terminal 900 may include one or more antennas. When the duplex terminal 900 includes only one antenna, the duplex terminal 900 uses the single antenna to transmit and receive signals. When the duplex terminal 900 includes multiple antennas, the duplex terminal 900 uses the same antenna to receive the first signal and the backscattered second signal. In this embodiment, the example in which the network device 160 transmits the first signal and receives the second signal is used for explanation. The main receiver 911 and / or the ultra-low power receiver 912 in the duplex terminal 900 receives the first signal from the network device 160, and the backscatter transmitter 920 modulates the first signal not received by the main receiver 911 and / or the ultra-low power receiver 912 and transmits the second signal to the network device 160.

[0158] In some embodiments, when duplex terminal 900 performs signal reflection and the reflected second signal is a high-level signal, the impedance in backscatter transmitter 920 is set to a mismatched state, a portion of the first signal is reflected by backscatter transmitter 920, and another portion of the signal is received and processed by main receiver 911 and / or ultra-low power receiver 912. Part of the backscattered first signal is the first signal that is not received by main receiver 911 and / or ultra-low power receiver 912.

[0159] In some embodiments, when the duplex terminal 900 does not perform signal reflection, or the reflected second signal is a low-level signal or a zero-level signal, the impedance in the backscatter transmitter 920 is set to a matching state, and all first signals are received and processed by the main receiver 911 and / or the ultra-low power receiver 912.

[0160] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment realizes the full-duplex communication capability of simultaneously transmitting and receiving signals, and while receiving signals, it simultaneously realizes backscattering by adjusting the matching characteristics of its own circuit, and supports transmitting and receiving operations in the same frequency and domain, realizing full-duplex communication in the true sense. Since the second signal is supported to occupy the same or partially the same frequency as the first signal, while realizing full-duplex communication that supports simultaneous transmission and reception of signals at the same frequency, it is also beneficial to improve the utilization efficiency of spectrum resources, save the spectrum resources used by a single terminal, and facilitate accommodating more terminals in a unit spectrum resource. And because the backscatter transmitter is zero power or low power, full-duplex communication is also realized in a lower power consumption state, effectively reducing terminal energy consumption and improving terminal life.

[0161] This method also improves the flexibility of full-duplex communication and saves communication costs when the same antenna is used for full-duplex signal transmission and reception.

[0162] Type 2: Implementation using different antennas for signal reception and backscattering

[0163] FIG17 is a schematic diagram of a duplex communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. This embodiment includes a network device 160 and a duplex terminal 900. The duplex terminal 900 includes a main receiver 911, an ultra-low power receiver 912, a main transmitter 940, a backscatter transmitter 920, an antenna 931, and an antenna 932.

[0164] In this embodiment, the duplex terminal 900 includes at least two antennas, and uses two different antennas to respectively perform an operation of receiving a first signal and an operation of backscattering a second signal.

[0165] In some embodiments, antenna 931 is an antenna for signal reception, and antenna 932 is an antenna for backscattering.

[0166] In this embodiment, the example in which the network device 160 transmits a first signal and receives a second signal is used for description. The main receiver 911 and / or the ultra-low power receiver 912 in the duplex terminal 900 receives the first signal from the network device 160 via the antenna 931. The backscatter transmitter 920 modulates the first signal not received by the main receiver 911 and / or the ultra-low power receiver 912 and transmits the second signal to the network device 160 via the antenna 932.

[0167] In some embodiments, when the duplex terminal 900 performs signal reflection and the reflected second signal is a high-level signal, the impedance in the backscatter transmitter 920 is set to a mismatched state, a portion of the first signal is reflected by the backscatter transmitter 920, and another portion of the signal is received and processed by the main receiver 911 and / or the ultra-low power receiver 912. Part of the backscattered first signal is the first signal that is not received by the main receiver 911 and / or the ultra-low power receiver 912.

[0168] In some embodiments, when the duplex terminal 900 does not perform signal reflection, or the reflected second signal is a low-level signal or a zero-level signal, the impedance in the backscatter transmitter 920 is set to a matching state, and all first signals are received and processed by the main receiver 911 and / or the ultra-low power receiver 912.

[0169] To sum up, the method provided in this embodiment realizes the simultaneous transmission and reception of signals. While receiving signals, backscattering is simultaneously realized by adjusting the matching characteristics of its own circuit, thereby improving the flexibility of full-duplex communication. Moreover, by using different antennas for signal reception and backscattering, regardless of whether the antenna used for backscattering is reflecting the signal, the other antenna can be used by the receiver to receive the signal, thereby realizing full-duplex communication and avoiding the loss of received signal power when the terminal performs backscattering, thereby ensuring signal reception performance.

[0170] Because the second signal can occupy the same or partially the same frequency as the first signal, full-duplex communication, supporting simultaneous transmission and reception of signals on the same frequency, is achieved. This also helps improve spectrum resource utilization efficiency, conserving spectrum resources used by individual terminals and accommodating more terminals within a unit of spectrum. Furthermore, because the backscatter transmitter is zero-power or low-power, full-duplex communication is also achieved with lower power consumption, effectively reducing terminal energy consumption and extending terminal battery life.

[0171] Frequency relationship between backscattered signal and received signal:

[0172] In the duplex communication method described above, when the duplex terminal 900 performs full-duplex communication by backscattering a second signal (backscattered signal) based on the first signal (received signal), the frequency relationship between the second signal and the first signal, as shown in FIG18 , includes at least one of the following situations:

[0173] (1) The second signal occupies the same frequency as the first signal;

[0174] As shown in case (1) in Figure 18 , the frequency domain used by the second signal backscattered by duplex terminal 900 is exactly the same as the frequency domain used by the received first signal. That is, duplex terminal 900 uses all frequencies of the first signal for backscattering. For example, the first signal received by receiver 910 in duplex terminal 900 and the second signal transmitted by backscatter transmitter 920 occupy the same frequency.

[0175] (2) The frequency of the second signal is a fraction of the frequency of the first signal;

[0176] As shown in case (2) in Figure 18, duplex terminal 900 uses only a portion of the frequencies of the first signal for backscattering. For example, the frequencies occupied by the second signal transmitted by backscatter transmitter 920 in duplex terminal 900 are a portion of the frequencies occupied by the first signal received by receiver 910.

[0177] (3) The frequency of the second signal is different from the frequency of the first signal.

[0178] The first signal includes a valid signal and a noise signal. The valid signal, also known as the target signal, refers to a signal sent by a network device or other node to duplex terminal 900. The noise signal, also known as the other signal, illustratively refers to a signal sent by a network device or other node to other terminals. Duplex terminal 900 receives the noise signal but does not demodulate it.

[0179] As shown in case (3) in Figure 18, the second signal backscattered by the duplex terminal 900 is located on the same carrier as the received first signal, achieving full-duplex communication, but the second signal occupies a different frequency than the first signal. For example, the receiver 910 in the duplex terminal 900 receives the first signal sent by the network device to the duplex terminal 900 and the fourth signal sent by the network device to the terminal B. The backscatter transmitter 920 demodulates a portion of the first signal and backscatters the second signal, and the receiver 910 receives the other portion of the first signal. Among them, a portion of the first signal backscattered by the backscatter transmitter 920 belongs to the first signal that is not received by the receiver 910. The second signal is sent on the frequency occupied by the fourth signal, that is, the second signal and the fourth signal occupy the same frequency point, but the second signal and the first signal occupy different frequencies.

[0180] In some embodiments, duplex terminal 900 receives a first signal and also receives scheduling signaling. The scheduling signaling is used to instruct duplex terminal 900 to perform backscattering, and / or the backscattering method, and / or the backscattering range of the first signal, and / or the frequency resources used for the second signal transmitted by backscattering, and / or the time domain resources used for the second signal transmitted by backscattering. Optionally, the scheduling signaling comes from a network device or other node, such as a router, a power supply device, or a peer device.

[0181] Exemplarily, the duplex terminal 900 receives a first signal and also receives scheduling signaling, which is used to instruct the duplex terminal 900 to backscatter part of the first signal and indicate that the frequency of the second signal transmitted by backscattering occupies part of the frequency of the first signal.

[0182] In summary, the duplex terminal 900 in the present application is provided with a receiver and a backscatter transmitter. While the receiver receives the first signal, the backscatter transmitter backscatters the first signal and transmits the second signal. Furthermore, the duplex terminal 900 supports the second signal occupying a different frequency from the first signal to avoid interference between the transmitted and received signals. It also supports the second signal occupying a portion of the frequency of the first signal, that is, the second signal occupies the same frequency as the first signal, which is beneficial for performing transceiver operations when frequency resources are limited and conserves spectrum resources in the communication system. It also supports the second signal occupying the same frequency as the first signal, enabling transceiver operations at the same frequency and in the same time domain, thus achieving true full-duplex communication, improving the flexibility of the communication system and conserving spectrum resources in the communication system.

[0183] In this application, the backscattering method performed by the duplex terminal 900 can be divided into the following two categories:

[0184] Method 1: Single carrier backscatter;

[0185] The duplex device performs backscattering on the first signal (OFDM signal) as a carrier signal to obtain a backscattered signal.

[0186] Method 2: Multi-carrier backscatter.

[0187] The duplex device uses the first signal (OFDM signal) as a plurality of carrier signals and performs backscattering on each of the plurality of carrier signals to obtain backscattered signals.

[0188] Method 1: Single-carrier backscatter

[0189] This application provides an exemplary embodiment of a duplex communication method. This embodiment is described by taking a duplex terminal 900 as an example:

[0190] The duplex terminal 900 can be used in various communication scenarios. This embodiment uses the duplex terminal 900 in an Internet of Things (IoT) scenario as an example. The duplex terminal 900 includes a receiver 910 and a backscatter transmitter 920. Generally, IoT terminal devices have low complexity and only support a narrow operating bandwidth. Therefore, the bandwidth of their backscatter transmission is also narrow, such as 200 kHz or 1 MHz.

[0191] In some embodiments, the first signal received by the receiver 910 in the duplex terminal 900 is a narrowband signal, and the backscatter transmitter 920 backscatters the narrowband signal, and the second signal sent is also a narrowband signal.

[0192] In some embodiments, the first signal received by the receiver 910 in the duplex terminal 900 is a wideband signal, and the backscatter transmitter 920 backscatters the wideband signal, and the second signal sent is also a wideband signal.

[0193] In some embodiments, a network device or other node sends a first signal to a duplex terminal 900, and a backscatter transmitter 920 backscatters the first signal. Optionally, the backscatter transmitter 920 backscatters a portion of the first signal and transmits a second signal, while the receiver 910 receives another portion of the first signal. The portion of the backscattered first signal belongs to the first signal that was not received by the receiver 910. The backscatter transmitter 920 backscatters a portion of the first signal or a portion of the signal over a portion of the bandwidth and transmits the second signal. When the backscatter transmitter 920 reflects only a portion of the signal over a portion of the bandwidth, the signal to be reflected is also referred to as a carrier signal.

[0194] In this embodiment, the duplex terminal 900 located in the Internet of Things scenario backscatters a part of the first signal or a part of the signal on a part of the bandwidth as a whole carrier signal, that is, the duplex terminal 900 uses single-carrier backscattering so that the backscattered signal is carried on the entire second signal. In other words, the time domain symbol of a backscattered signal can be carried on a narrowband or broadband backscattered signal, which is beneficial to improving the transmission performance of backscattering.

[0195] Method 2: Multi-carrier backscatter

[0196] This application provides an exemplary embodiment of a duplex communication method. This embodiment is described by taking a duplex terminal 900 as an example:

[0197] In this embodiment, the duplex terminal 900 is a high-capability terminal, and includes a receiver 910 and a backscatter transmitter 920 .

[0198] In some embodiments, the first signal received by the receiver 910 in the duplex terminal 900 is a broadband signal, for example, the first signal is a broadband orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) signal.

[0199] In some embodiments, a network device or other node transmits a first signal to duplex terminal 900, and backscatter transmitter 920 backscatters the first signal. Optionally, backscatter transmitter 920 backscatters a portion of the first signal to transmit a second signal, while receiver 910 receives another portion of the first signal. The portion of the backscattered first signal is part of the first signal that was not received by receiver 910.

[0200] In some embodiments, the wideband OFDM signal (first signal) not received by receiver 910 is divided into N carriers, and duplex terminal 900 performs backscattering on each of the N divided carriers. Optionally, the bandwidth occupied by the N carriers does not overlap. Optionally, duplex terminal 900 modulates different information content when backscattering different carriers, that is, duplex terminal 900 transmits independent information bits on different carriers.

[0201] As shown in FIG19 , the first signal received by the duplex terminal 900 from the network device is a broadband OFDM signal including 200 physical resource blocks (PRBs), and the subcarrier spacing of the broadband OFDM signal is 15 kHz.

[0202] In some embodiments, the first signal is divided into 50 carriers, that is, every four PRBs are divided into one carrier. When backscattering on each carrier, the backscatter transmitter 920 in the duplex terminal 900 can modulate a different bit. Therefore, when the duplex terminal 900 backscatters the first signal containing 200 PRBs, it can carry a maximum of 50 bits, thereby implementing backscattering using multiple carriers. Each carrier is modulated to carry one bit.

[0203] The embodiments of the present application do not limit the bandwidth occupied by each of the multiple carriers, nor the number of the multiple carriers. For example, the bandwidth may be determined based on the number of information bits to be transmitted by duplex terminal 900. As an example, if the OFDM signal is 100 MHz and the number of information bits to be transmitted by duplex terminal 900 is 50, duplex terminal 900 may divide the OFDM signal into 50 carriers, each of which occupies 2 MHz.

[0204] The present application does not limit the specific implementation of the duplex terminal 900 performing a separate backscatter operation on each carrier, thereby carrying independent information bits on different carriers.

[0205] In some embodiments, backscatter transmitter 920 in duplex terminal 900 integrates N independent backscatter units. For example, the first signal is divided into 50 carriers, i.e., every four PRBs are divided into one carrier. When backscattering on each carrier, the N independent backscatter units in backscatter transmitter 920 in duplex terminal 900 modulate different bits on each of the 50 carriers, thereby transmitting independent information bits on different carriers, thereby implementing backscattering using multiple carriers. In other words, backscattering different frequency / time domain portions of the first signal can be performed by independent backscatter units.

[0206] In this embodiment, multi-carrier backscattering can be used to transmit multiple information bits at the same time (for example, as the same backscattering symbol) (for example, as long as the bandwidth of the first signal is wide enough, enough carriers can be divided, so that backscattering can also transmit dozens to hundreds of bits on the same time domain symbol), further improving the communication rate of backscattering communication.

[0207] An embodiment of symbiotic communication between a duplex terminal receiving signal and a reflected signal:

[0208] For ease of distinction and explanation, in the embodiments of the present application, the unit of the second signal serving as the backscatter signal in the time domain is recorded as a backscatter symbol, the unit in the frequency domain is recorded as a backscatter frequency domain unit, and the minimum time-frequency unit of the backscatter signal is recorded as a backscatter time-frequency unit. The unit of the OFDM signal in the time domain is an OFDM symbol, and the unit in the frequency domain is a PRB.

[0209] This application provides an exemplary embodiment of a duplex communication method. This embodiment is described by taking a duplex terminal 900 as an example:

[0210] In this embodiment, the duplex terminal 900 includes a receiver 910 and a backscatter transmitter 920. The receiver 910 receives a first signal, and the backscatter transmitter 920 reflects a second signal. Exemplarily, the first signal is a broadband OFDM signal.

[0211] In some embodiments, the second signal is composed of a subcarrier signal, and the time domain width of the second signal is K times the time domain width of the first signal, where K is a positive integer greater than 1. That is, the symbol width of the second signal = K times the symbol width of the first signal. Optionally, the K symbols of the first signal constitute a unit for the duplex terminal 900 to perform channel estimation in the time domain, that is, the receiver 910 performs channel estimation on the first signal based on K symbols. Exemplarily, if a channel estimation unit occupies half a time slot, each half time slot contains a pilot for performing channel estimation when receiving the first signal; if a channel estimation unit occupies one time slot, each time slot contains a pilot for performing channel estimation when receiving the first signal.

[0212] In some embodiments, the second signal is composed of multiple subcarrier signals, and the time domain width of the subcarrier signal of the second signal is K times the time domain width of the first signal, where K is a positive integer greater than 1. That is, the symbol width of the subcarrier signal of the second signal = K times the symbol width of the first signal. Optionally, the K symbols of the first signal constitute the unit for the duplex terminal 900 to perform channel estimation in the time domain, that is, the receiver 910 performs channel estimation on the first signal based on K symbols. Exemplarily, if a channel estimation unit occupies half a time slot, each half time slot contains a pilot for performing channel estimation when receiving the first signal; if a channel estimation unit occupies one time slot, each time slot contains a pilot for performing channel estimation when receiving the first signal.

[0213] In some embodiments, a symbol of the second signal is aligned with the symbols of the K first signals in the time domain, that is, the starting point of a symbol of the second signal is aligned with the starting point of the symbols of the K first signals, and the end point of a symbol of the second signal is aligned with the end point of the symbols of the K first signals.

[0214] In some embodiments, one symbol of the subcarrier signal of the second signal is aligned with the K symbols of the first signal in the time domain.

[0215] In some embodiments, the K value is predefined, preconfigured, dynamically configured by the network device / other node to the duplex terminal 900, or determined autonomously by the duplex terminal 900. Exemplarily, the network device sends first configuration information to the duplex terminal 900, indicating the value of the K value.

[0216] In some embodiments, the second signal is composed of a single subcarrier signal, and the frequency domain bandwidth occupied by the second signal is no less than the minimum bandwidth unit used by receiver 910 when performing channel estimation on the first signal. For example, when receiver 910 receives the first signal, the minimum unit used for channel estimation on the first signal is M PRBs. Therefore, the minimum carrier bandwidth occupied by the second signal reflected by backscatter transmitter 920 is also M PRBs, meaning that the frequency domain bandwidth occupied by the second signal is no less than M PRBs. Here, M is a positive integer.

[0217] In some embodiments, the second signal is composed of multiple subcarrier signals, and the frequency domain bandwidth occupied by the subcarrier signals of the second signal is no less than the minimum bandwidth unit when the receiver 910 performs channel estimation on the first signal. Exemplarily, when the receiver 910 receives the first signal, the minimum unit for channel estimation of the first signal is M PRBs, and then the minimum carrier bandwidth occupied by the subcarrier signals of the second signal reflected by the backscatter transmitter 920 is also M PRBs, that is, the frequency domain bandwidth occupied by the subcarrier signals of the second signal is no less than M PRBs.

[0218] In some embodiments, the second signal and the M PRBs are aligned in the frequency domain.

[0219] In some embodiments, the subcarrier signal of the second signal and the M PRBs are aligned in the frequency domain.

[0220] In some embodiments, the M value is predefined, preconfigured, dynamically configured by the network device / other node to the duplex terminal 900, or determined autonomously by the duplex terminal 900. Exemplarily, the network device sends second configuration information to the duplex terminal 900, indicating the value of the M value.

[0221] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG20 , the first signal received by the duplex terminal 900 is a broadband OFDM signal. The first signal is composed of K OFDM symbols and M PRBs to form a minimum time-frequency unit, and the backscatter transmitter 920 sends a backscattered symbol on the minimum time-frequency unit. On the minimum time-frequency unit, the backscatter transmitter 920 modulates part of the first signal based on backscattering. The carrier signal is the signal to be reflected when the first signal on only a part of the bandwidth is reflected, as described above. Exemplarily, the carrier signal is OOK modulated to transmit bit "0" or bit "1". OOK is also known as binary amplitude shift keying (2ASK). The modulation principle of OOK modulation is to modulate the amplitude of the carrier signal to non-zero and zero values, corresponding to On and Off, respectively, which are used to represent information bits. Among them, information bit 1 is modulated to On, and information bit 0 is modulated to Off.

[0222] When the bit "0" is transmitted when the first signal is reflected, illustratively, when the first signal is not reflected, the signal received by the receiver 910 is only the first signal to be received, that is, the broadband OFDM signal, without other interference.

[0223] When a "1" bit is transmitted while reflecting the first signal, exemplarily when the first signal is being reflected or when the first signal is being reflected at a high level, the signals received by receiver 910 are the intended first signal and the reversely transmitted signal, namely, the wideband OFDM signal and the second signal. In this state, although receiver 910 receives the second signal, the second signal is modulated as a whole using the smallest unit used by receiver 910 for channel estimation. This means that the second signal reflects all OFDM signals on the smallest unit used by receiver 910 for channel estimation of the first signal in the same manner. Therefore, the second signal can be considered a multipath signal of the first signal. Because the channel estimation pilot is present on the smallest unit used for channel estimation, the channel changes introduced by the second signal can be estimated by the channel estimator of receiver 910. Therefore, the second signal not only does not interfere with the first signal, but instead forms a useful signal component, facilitating reception of the first signal by duplex terminal 900.

[0224] The backscatter transmitter 920 may process signals on part or all of the bandwidth of the first signal to carry original information bits and form at least one data symbol. The above processing may include, but is not limited to, encoding, scrambling, modulation, etc.

[0225] In some embodiments, at least one data symbol may be mapped to at least one backscatter time-frequency unit for transmission.

[0226] In some embodiments, one data symbol may be mapped onto one backscatter time-frequency unit for transmission.

[0227] In some embodiments, a data symbol can carry one bit of information or multiple bits of information. For example, if the backscatter signal (second signal) is generated using OOK modulation, ASK, or FSK, then one data symbol can carry one bit of information. Alternatively, if the backscatter signal is generated using a higher-order modulation scheme, such as QPSK modulation, then one data symbol can carry two bits of information.

[0228] In some embodiments, when the information that the backscatter transmitter 920 needs to send is 1 bit (such as a scenario of sending an acknowledgement (ACK) / negative acknowledgement (NACK)), the backscatter transmitter 920 can adopt the single-carrier backscattering method in method 1 to map the 1-bit information to a backscatter time-frequency unit.

[0229] In some embodiments, backscatter transmitter 920 needs to transmit multiple information bits, such as dozens or even hundreds of bits. Backscatter transmitter 920 can use a multi-carrier backscattering scheme, such as the multi-carrier backscattering scheme described in Scheme 2, to map the multiple bits of information onto multiple backscatter time-frequency units. In these cases, resource mapping of the information bits needs to be considered.

[0230] In some embodiments of the present application, the backscatter transmitter 920 may map the at least one data symbol onto at least one backscatter time-frequency unit in the time domain and / or frequency domain.

[0231] Exemplarily, the duplex terminal 900 maps the at least one data symbol onto at least one backscatter time-frequency unit in sequence in the time domain first and then the frequency domain.

[0232] Alternatively, the duplex terminal 900 maps the at least one data symbol onto at least one backscatter time-frequency unit in sequence in the frequency domain first and then the time domain.

[0233] In some embodiments, when mapping the at least one data symbol in a time-domain order, the duplex terminal 900 may sequentially map the at least one data symbol onto the at least one backscatter time-frequency unit in an ascending or descending order of the numbering of the at least one backscatter time-frequency unit in the time domain. In other words, the at least one data symbol may be sequentially mapped onto the at least one backscatter time-frequency unit in an early-to-late or late-to-early order of the at least one backscatter time-frequency unit in the time domain.

[0234] In some embodiments, when mapping the at least one data symbol in a frequency domain order, the duplex terminal 900 may sequentially map the at least one data symbol onto the at least one backscatter time-frequency unit in an ascending or descending order of the numbering of the at least one backscatter time-frequency unit in the frequency domain. In other words, the at least one data symbol may be sequentially mapped onto the at least one backscatter time-frequency unit in an ascending or descending order of the numbering of the at least one backscatter time-frequency unit in the frequency domain.

[0235] It should be understood that in the embodiments of the present application, the present application does not limit the numbering method of the at least one backscatter time-frequency unit. For example, the at least one backscatter time-frequency unit can be numbered separately in the time domain and the frequency domain, or can be jointly numbered in the time domain and the frequency domain. The present application does not limit this.

[0236] In summary, the method provided in this embodiment implements backscattering through a backscatter transmitter while simultaneously receiving a signal, and supports simultaneous transmission and reception in the same frequency and domain, achieving true full-duplex communication. Furthermore, symbiotic communication is achieved between the received and reflected signals, preventing interference from the reflected signal on the received signal and ensuring signal reception performance. Furthermore, because the second signal can occupy the same or partially the same frequency as the first signal, full-duplex communication supporting simultaneous transmission and reception of signals on the same frequency is achieved while also conserving spectrum resources.

[0237] FIG21 shows a flowchart of a duplex communication method provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. This embodiment is described by taking execution by a network device as an example. The method includes at least some of the following steps:

[0238] Step 212: Sending a first signal to the duplex terminal 900;

[0239] The first signal is carried and sent on LTE channels, NR channels, or future 6G and subsequent channels. Channels can be categorized based on different criteria. For example, based on the direction of signal transmission, channels include uplink channels, downlink channels, and sidelink channels. Another example is based on the purpose of the signal, channels include data channels, feedback channels, control channels, broadcast channels, and random access channels.

[0240] In some embodiments, the first signal is sent to the duplex terminal 900 by a node other than the network device. This embodiment is described by taking the example where the first signal is sent by the network device.

[0241] Step 214 : Receive a second signal from the duplex terminal 900 .

[0242] The duplex terminal 900 supports information transmission using a backscattering method. The duplex terminal 900 modulates and reflects the first signal that is not received by the duplex terminal 900, that is, transmits a second signal.

[0243] The first and second signals are carried and transmitted over LTE channels, NR channels, or future 6G and subsequent channels. Channels can be categorized based on different criteria. For example, based on the direction of signal transmission, channels include uplink channels, downlink channels, and sidelink channels. Another example is based on the purpose of the signal, channels include data channels, feedback channels, control channels, broadcast channels, and random access channels.

[0244] Exemplarily, the first signal adopts a first transmission mode, and the second signal adopts a second transmission mode. The first transmission mode and the second transmission mode use at least one different receiver, waveform, modulation mode, coding, and multiple access mode.

[0245] The modulation mode of the first transmission parameter and the second transmission parameter includes any one of ASK modulation, FSK modulation, binary phase shift keying (2Phase-Shift Keying, 2PSK) modulation, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing, OFDM) modulation, quadrature phase shift keying (Quadrature Phase-Shift Keying, QPSK) modulation, and quadrature amplitude modulation (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation, QAM).

[0246] ASK is a digital modulation scheme in which the carrier amplitude varies with the digital baseband signal. When the digital baseband signal is binary, it is called binary amplitude keying (2ASK). 2ASK, also known as OOK, uses a unipolar non-return-to-zero code sequence to control the on- and off-state of the mainline carrier. Optionally, ASK also includes 4ASK and 8ASK, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0247] FSK is a digital modulation method in which the carrier frequency varies with the digital baseband signal. When the digital baseband signal is binary, it is called binary frequency shift keying (2FSK). 2FSK transmits information by converting two different carrier signals into digital signals. The state of the transmitted information is represented by changes in the carrier frequency. The frequency of the modulated carrier changes with the binary sequence of 0s and 1s. Optionally, FSK also includes 4FSK, 8FSK, and other methods, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0248] PSK is a digital modulation technique in which the phase of the carrier wave varies with the digital baseband signal. 2PSK, the simplest form of phase-shift keying, uses two carrier waves with an initial phase difference of 180 degrees to transmit binary information. It is also known as BPSK. QPSK, quaternary phase-shift keying, uses four different phase differences of the carrier wave to represent the input digital information.

[0249] OFDM is a type of multi-carrier modulation (MCM). Its main principle is to divide the channel into several orthogonal sub-channels, convert high-speed data signals into parallel low-speed sub-data streams, and modulate them onto each sub-channel for transmission. OFDM includes V-OFDM, W-OFDM, F-OFDM, MIMO-OFDM, and multi-band OFDM, which are not limited in this embodiment.

[0250] QAM uses two independent baseband digital signals to suppress the broadcast of two mutually orthogonal, co-frequency carriers. This double-sideband modulation exploits the orthogonal nature of the modulated signals within the same bandwidth to achieve two parallel digital information transmission paths. It combines multi-level digital amplitude modulation (MASK) and multi-level multi-step key-shift ...

[0251] It should be noted that the examples of the modulation method of the first transmission parameter and the modulation method of the second transmission parameter in the above embodiments are only examples and should not constitute any limitation to this application. It does not exclude the use of other existing or future-defined modulation methods to generate the first transmission parameter or the second transmission parameter.

[0252] The encoding method of the first transmission parameter and the second transmission parameter includes any one of inverse non-return-to-zero coding, Manchester coding, unipolar return-to-zero coding, differential bi-phase coding, Miller coding, differential coding, new block (Reed-Muller, RM) code, tail biting convolutional code (Tail Biting CC, TBCC), Turbo code, outer code, low density parity check code (Low Density Parity Check Code, LDPC), and Polar code.

[0253] The multiple access mode of the first transmission parameter and the second transmission parameter includes any one of frequency division multiple access (FDMA), time division multiple access (TDMA), code division multiple access (CDMA), orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA), and discrete Fourier transform spread orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DFT-Spread OFDM, DFTS-OFDM).

[0254] It should be understood that different modulation methods generate different signal waveforms. In the embodiment of the present application, the modulation methods of the first signal and the second signal are different, so the waveforms of the first signal and the second signal are different.

[0255] In some embodiments, the second signal is sent by the duplex terminal 900 to other nodes except the network device. In this embodiment, the second signal is sent by the duplex terminal 900 to the network device as an example.

[0256] In some embodiments, the first signal and the second signal occupy the same frequency; or, the frequency occupied by the second signal is a portion of the frequency occupied by the first signal; or, the first signal includes a valid signal and a noise signal, and the valid signal and the second signal occupy different frequencies.

[0257] In some embodiments, the second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal on the target carrier; wherein the bandwidth occupied by the target carrier is the entire bandwidth or a portion of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

[0258] In some embodiments, the second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal on multiple target carriers respectively, and the second signal includes multiple subcarrier signals corresponding to the multiple target carriers respectively; wherein the bandwidth occupied by the multiple target carriers is obtained by dividing the entire bandwidth or part of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

[0259] In some embodiments, the symbol width of the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is K times the symbol width of the first signal, where K is a positive integer greater than 1. Optionally, the value of K is predefined, or preconfigured, or dynamically configured by a network device to the duplex terminal 900, or autonomously determined by the duplex terminal 900.

[0260] In some embodiments, the first signal is a wideband OFDM signal, and the frequency domain bandwidth occupied by the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is not less than the minimum bandwidth unit when the duplex terminal 900 performs channel estimation on the first signal.

[0261] In some embodiments, the network device further receives capability information reported by the duplex terminal 900, where the capability information is used to indicate that the duplex terminal 900 supports full-duplex communication capabilities based on backscattering, so that the network device can select an appropriate transmission mode based on service requirements in different situations. For example, in a scenario where the network device is not suitable for configuring UL transmission resources, such as UL time slots, but expects the terminal to transmit UL signals, the network device schedules the duplex terminal 900 to transmit UL signals using backscattering, and at the same time, schedules DL data transmission for the duplex terminal 900, so that the duplex terminal 900 transmits UL signals while receiving downlink signals from the network device, thereby enabling the network device to simultaneously transmit DL signals to the duplex terminal 900 and receive UL signals from the duplex terminal 900.

[0262] In summary, the duplex communication method provided in this embodiment enables a network device to simultaneously send a first signal to a duplex terminal and receive a second signal backscattered from the duplex terminal. Furthermore, the network device can send the first signal and receive the second signal on the same frequency and in the same domain, achieving true full-duplex communication and improving the flexibility and efficiency of the communication system. Furthermore, because the second signal can occupy the same or partially the same frequency as the first signal, full-duplex communication, supporting simultaneous on-frequency transmission and reception, is achieved while also conserving spectrum resources.

[0263] FIG22 shows a block diagram of a duplex communication device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application, wherein the device includes at least some of the following modules:

[0264] The receiving module 222 is configured to receive a first signal from a network device or other node, such as a router or a power supply device.

[0265] The backscatter transmission module 224 is configured to backscatter the first signal and transmit a second signal.

[0266] During the process of the receiving module 222 receiving the first signal, the backscatter transmission module 224 also backscatters the first signal that is not received by the receiving module 222 and transmits a second signal, thereby realizing full-duplex communication.

[0267] Optionally, the receiving module 222 and the backscatter transmission module 224 share the same antenna. That is, the receiving module 222 and the backscatter transmission module 224 are used to receive the first signal and backscatter the second signal.

[0268] Optionally, the receiving module 222 and the backscatter transmission module 224 use different antennas. That is, the antenna used by the receiving module 222 to receive the first signal is different from the antenna used by the backscatter transmission module 224 to backscatter the second signal.

[0269] Optionally, there are at least two backscatter transmission modules 224; or, at least two backscatter transmission units are integrated in the backscatter transmission module 224.

[0270] Optionally, when the backscatter transmission module 224 performs signal reflection and the reflected second signal is a high-level signal, the impedance in the backscatter transmission module 224 is set to an unmatched state, a portion of the first signal is reflected by the backscatter transmission module 224, and the other portion of the signal is received and processed by the receiving module 222.

[0271] Optionally, when the backscatter transmission module 224 does not reflect the signal, or the reflected second signal is a low-level signal or a zero-level signal, the impedance in the backscatter transmission module 224 is set to a matching state, and all first signals are received and processed by the receiving module 222.

[0272] Optionally, the first signal and the second signal occupy the same frequency; or, the frequency occupied by the second signal is a part of the frequency occupied by the first signal; or, the first signal includes a valid signal and a noise signal, and the valid signal and the second signal occupy different frequencies.

[0273] Optionally, the backscatter transmission module 224 is further configured to backscatter the first signal on the target carrier and transmit the second signal;

[0274] The bandwidth occupied by the target carrier is the entire bandwidth or a portion of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

[0275] Optionally, the backscatter transmission module 224 is further configured to backscatter the first signal on multiple target carriers respectively, and transmit multiple subcarrier signals corresponding to the multiple target carriers respectively, where the multiple subcarrier signals constitute the second signal;

[0276] The bandwidths occupied by the multiple target carriers are obtained by dividing the entire bandwidth or a portion of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

[0277] Optionally, a symbol width of the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is K times the symbol width of the first signal, where K is a positive integer greater than 1. Optionally, the K value is predefined, or preconfigured, or dynamically configured by a network device to a duplex terminal, or autonomously determined by the duplex terminal.

[0278] Optionally, the frequency domain bandwidth occupied by the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is not less than a minimum bandwidth unit when the receiving module 222 performs channel estimation on the first signal.

[0279] Optionally, the present device further includes a sending module 226 for reporting capability information to the network device; or, the backscatter transmission module 224 is further used to report capability information to the network device. The capability information is used to indicate that the present device supports full-duplex communication capability based on backscattering, so that the network device can select an appropriate transmission mode based on business requirements in different situations. For example, in a scenario where the network device is not suitable for configuring UL transmission resources, such as UL time slots, but expects the terminal to transmit UL signals, the network device schedules the present device with full-duplex communication capability to transmit UL signals using backscattering. At the same time, the network device schedules DL data transmission for the present device so that the backscatter transmission module 224 transmits UL signals while the receiving module 222 receives downlink signals, thereby enabling the present device to simultaneously receive DL signals and transmit UL signals.

[0280] Optionally, the node or network device that sends the first signal and the node or network device that receives the second signal are the same as or different from each other.

[0281] In summary, the device provided in this embodiment is equipped with a receiving module and a backscatter transmission module. During the process of receiving a first signal, the backscatter transmission module simultaneously backscatters the first signal and transmits a second signal, enabling the device to simultaneously transmit and receive signals, achieving full-duplex communication with low device complexity. Furthermore, it supports transmitting and receiving operations in the same frequency and same domain, achieving true full-duplex communication. Furthermore, because the second signal occupies the same or partially the same frequency as the first signal, full-duplex communication that supports simultaneous transmission and reception of signals on the same frequency is achieved while also conserving spectrum resources. Because the backscatter transmitter has zero or low power consumption, full-duplex communication is achieved with low power consumption. Using the same antenna for signal reception and backscattering can save costs. Using different antennas for signal reception and backscattering can help reduce signal interference. Furthermore, by adjusting the transmission frequency and backscattering method of the backscattered signal, the flexibility of full-duplex communication can be improved, signal reception performance can be guaranteed, and full-duplex communication requirements in different scenarios can be met.

[0282] FIG23 shows a block diagram of a duplex communication device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application, wherein the device includes at least some of the following modules:

[0283] A sending module 232, configured to send a first signal to a duplex terminal;

[0284] The receiving module 234 is configured to receive a second signal sent by the duplex terminal, where the second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal.

[0285] Optionally, the first signal and the second signal occupy the same frequency; or, the frequency occupied by the second signal is a part of the frequency occupied by the first signal; or, the first signal includes a valid signal and a noise signal, and the valid signal and the second signal occupy different frequencies.

[0286] Optionally, the second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal on the target carrier; wherein the bandwidth occupied by the target carrier is the entire bandwidth or a portion of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

[0287] Optionally, the second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal on multiple target carriers respectively, and the second signal includes multiple subcarrier signals corresponding to the multiple target carriers respectively; wherein the bandwidth occupied by the multiple target carriers is obtained by dividing all or part of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

[0288] Optionally, a symbol width of the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is K times the symbol width of the first signal, where K is a positive integer greater than 1. Optionally, the K value is predefined, or preconfigured, or dynamically configured by a network device to a duplex terminal, or autonomously determined by the duplex terminal.

[0289] Optionally, the first signal is a broadband OFDM signal, and the frequency domain bandwidth occupied by the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is not less than a minimum bandwidth unit when the duplex terminal performs channel estimation on the first signal.

[0290] Optionally, the receiving module 234 is further configured to receive capability information reported by a duplex terminal, where the capability information is used to indicate that the duplex terminal supports full-duplex communication capabilities based on backscattering, so that the device can select an appropriate transmission mode based on business requirements in different situations. For example, in a scenario where the sending module 232 in the device is not suitable for configuring UL transmission resources, such as UL time slots, but the terminal is expected to transmit a UL signal, the sending module 232 schedules the duplex terminal to transmit the UL signal using backscattering. At the same time, the sending module schedules the duplex terminal for DL ​​data transmission, so that the duplex terminal transmits the UL signal while receiving the downlink signal from the sending module 232, thereby enabling the device to simultaneously transmit a DL signal to the duplex terminal and receive a UL signal from the duplex terminal.

[0291] In summary, the apparatus provided in this embodiment communicates and interacts with a duplex terminal, simultaneously sending a first signal to the duplex terminal and receiving a second signal backscattered from the duplex terminal. Furthermore, the apparatus supports sending the first signal and receiving the second signal on the same frequency and in the same domain, thus achieving true full-duplex communication and improving the flexibility and efficiency of the communication system. Furthermore, because the second signal can occupy the same or partially the same frequency as the first signal, full-duplex communication that supports simultaneous on-frequency transmission and reception of signals is achieved while also conserving spectrum resources.

[0292] FIG24 shows a schematic structural diagram of a duplex communication device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The duplex communication device 2400 includes: a processor 2401 , a receiver 2402 , a backscatter transmitter 2403 , a memory 2404 and a bus 2405 .

[0293] The processor 2401 includes one or more processing cores. The processor 2401 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0294] The receiver 2402 and the backscatter transmitter 2403 may be implemented as a communication component, which may be a communication chip.

[0295] The memory 2404 is connected to the processor 2401 via a bus 2405. The memory 2404 may be used to store at least one instruction, and the processor 2401 may be used to execute the at least one instruction to implement each step in the above method embodiment.

[0296] In addition, the memory 2404 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof. Volatile or non-volatile storage devices include but are not limited to: magnetic disks or optical disks, electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), static random-access memory (SRAM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic memory, flash memory, and programmable read-only memory (PROM).

[0297] FIG25 shows a schematic structural diagram of a duplex communication device provided by an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The duplex communication device 2500 includes: a processor 2501 , a transmitter 2502 , a backscatter receiver 2503 , a memory 2504 and a bus 2505 .

[0298] The processor 2501 includes one or more processing cores. The processor 2501 executes various functional applications and information processing by running software programs and modules.

[0299] The transmitter 2502 and the backscatter receiver 2503 may be implemented as a communication component, which may be a communication chip.

[0300] The memory 2504 is connected to the processor 2501 via a bus 2505. The memory 2504 may be used to store at least one instruction, and the processor 2501 may be used to execute the at least one instruction to implement each step in the above method embodiment.

[0301] In addition, the memory 2504 can be implemented by any type of volatile or non-volatile storage device or a combination thereof, including but not limited to: magnetic or optical disks, EEPROM, EPROM, SRAM, ROM, magnetic storage, flash memory, PROM.

[0302] An embodiment of the present application further provides a chip, which includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and is used to implement the duplex communication method described above when a terminal having the chip is running.

[0303] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that in one or more of the above examples, the functions described in the embodiments of the present application can be implemented using hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. When implemented using software, these functions can be stored in a computer-readable medium or transmitted as one or more instructions or codes on a computer-readable medium. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, wherein communication media include any media that facilitates the transmission of computer programs from one place to another. The storage medium can be any available medium that can be accessed by a general-purpose or special-purpose computer.

[0304] The above description is merely an optional embodiment of the present application and is not intended to limit the present application. Any modifications, equivalent replacements, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present application shall be included in the scope of protection of the present application.

Claims

1. A duplex terminal, characterized in that: The duplex terminal comprises: Receiver; A backscatter transmitter is a transmitter that uses backscattering to transmit information.

2. The duplex terminal according to claim 1, wherein: The receiver and the backscatter transmitter share a same antenna.

3. The duplex terminal according to claim 1, wherein: The receiver is connected to a first antenna, and the backscatter transmitter is connected to a second antenna.

4. The duplex terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: There are at least two backscatter transmitters; Alternatively, at least two backscatter transmission units are integrated in the backscatter transmitter.

5. The duplex terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The receiver comprises: a master receiver and / or a slave receiver; The power consumption of the slave receiver is lower than that of the master receiver.

6. The duplex terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The duplex terminal further includes: Main transmitter.

7. A duplex communication method, characterized in that: The method is performed by the duplex terminal according to any one of claims 1 to 6, and the method includes: receiving a first signal via the receiver; The first signal is backscattered by the backscatter transmitter to transmit a second signal.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that The first signal and the second signal occupy the same frequency; or, The frequency occupied by the second signal is a part of the frequency occupied by the first signal; or, The first signal includes a valid signal and a noise signal, and the valid signal and the second signal occupy different frequencies.

9. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that The backscattering of the first signal by the backscatter transmitter to transmit a second signal includes: Backscattering the first signal on the target carrier through the backscatter transmitter to transmit the second signal; The bandwidth occupied by the target carrier is the entire bandwidth or a portion of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

10. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that The backscattering of the first signal by the backscatter transmitter to transmit a second signal includes: Backscattering the first signal on multiple target carriers respectively through the backscatter transmitter, transmitting multiple subcarrier signals corresponding to the multiple target carriers respectively, wherein the multiple subcarrier signals constitute the second signal; The bandwidths occupied by the multiple target carriers are obtained by dividing the entire bandwidth or a portion of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

11. The method according to claim 7 or 8, characterized in that The symbol width of the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is K times the symbol width of the first signal, where K is a positive integer greater than 1.

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that The first signal is a wideband OFDM signal; The frequency domain bandwidth occupied by the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is not less than a minimum bandwidth unit when the duplex terminal performs channel estimation on the first signal.

13. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 12, characterized in that: The method comprises: Report capability information to the network device, where the capability information is used to indicate a capability of supporting full-duplex communication based on backscatter.

14. A duplex communication method, characterized in that: The method is performed by a network device, and includes: sending a first signal to a duplex terminal; A second signal sent by the duplex terminal is received, where the second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal.

15. The method according to claim 14, characterized in that The first signal and the second signal occupy the same frequency; or, The frequency occupied by the second signal is a part of the frequency occupied by the first signal; or, The first signal includes a valid signal and a noise signal, and the valid signal and the second signal occupy different frequencies.

16. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal on the target carrier; The bandwidth occupied by the target carrier is the entire bandwidth or a portion of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

17. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal on multiple target carriers respectively, and the second signal includes multiple subcarrier signals corresponding to the multiple target carriers respectively; The bandwidths occupied by the multiple target carriers are obtained by dividing the entire bandwidth or a portion of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

18. The method according to claim 14 or 15, characterized in that The symbol width of the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is K times the symbol width of the first signal, where K is a positive integer greater than 1.

19. The method according to claim 18, characterized in that The first signal is a wideband OFDM signal; The frequency domain bandwidth occupied by the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is not less than a minimum bandwidth unit when the duplex terminal performs channel estimation on the first signal.

20. The method according to any one of claims 14 to 19, characterized in that The method comprises: Capability information reported by the duplex terminal is received, where the capability information is used to indicate that the duplex terminal supports full-duplex communication capability based on backscattering.

21. A duplex communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A receiving module, configured to receive a first signal; The backscatter transmission module is used to backscatter the first signal and transmit a second signal.

22. The device according to claim 21, characterized in that The first signal and the second signal occupy the same frequency; or, The frequency occupied by the second signal is a part of the frequency occupied by the first signal; or, The first signal includes a valid signal and a noise signal, and the valid signal and the second signal occupy different frequencies.

23. The device according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that The backscatter transmission module is further configured to backscatter the first signal on the target carrier and transmit the second signal; The bandwidth occupied by the target carrier is the entire bandwidth or a portion of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

24. The device according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that The backscatter transmission module is further configured to respectively backscatter the first signal on multiple target carriers, and transmit multiple subcarrier signals corresponding to the multiple target carriers, wherein the multiple subcarrier signals constitute the second signal; The bandwidths occupied by the multiple target carriers are obtained by dividing the entire bandwidth or a portion of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

25. The device according to claim 21 or 22, characterized in that The symbol width of the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is K times the symbol width of the first signal, where K is a positive integer greater than 1.

26. The device according to claim 25, characterized in that The first signal is a wideband OFDM signal; The frequency domain bandwidth occupied by the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is not less than a minimum bandwidth unit when the receiving module performs channel estimation on the first signal.

27. The device according to any one of claims 21 to 26, characterized in that The apparatus further includes a sending module, configured to report capability information to a network device, wherein the capability information is configured to indicate that the apparatus supports full-duplex communication capability based on backscatter; Alternatively, the backscatter transmission module is further configured to report capability information to the network device, wherein the capability information is configured to indicate that the apparatus supports full-duplex communication capability based on backscatter.

28. A duplex communication device, characterized in that: The device comprises: A sending module, configured to send a first signal to a duplex terminal; The receiving module is configured to receive a second signal sent by the duplex terminal, where the second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal.

29. The device according to claim 28, characterized in that The first signal and the second signal occupy the same frequency; or, The frequency occupied by the second signal is a part of the frequency occupied by the first signal; or, The first signal includes a valid signal and a noise signal, and the valid signal and the second signal occupy different frequencies.

30. The device according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that The second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal on the target carrier; The bandwidth occupied by the target carrier is the entire bandwidth or a portion of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

31. The device according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that The second signal is transmitted by backscattering the first signal on multiple target carriers respectively, and the second signal includes multiple subcarrier signals corresponding to the multiple target carriers respectively; The bandwidths occupied by the multiple target carriers are obtained by dividing the entire bandwidth or a portion of the bandwidth occupied by the first signal.

32. The device according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that The symbol width of the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is K times the symbol width of the first signal, where K is a positive integer greater than 1.

33. The device according to claim 32, characterized in that The first signal is a wideband OFDM signal; The frequency domain bandwidth occupied by the second signal or a subcarrier signal of the second signal is not less than a minimum bandwidth unit when the duplex terminal performs channel estimation on the first signal.

34. The device according to any one of claims 28 to 33, characterized in that The receiving module is further configured to: Capability information reported by the duplex terminal is received, where the capability information is used to indicate that the duplex terminal supports full-duplex communication capability based on backscattering.

35. A terminal, characterized in that: The terminal includes: processor; a receiver and a backscatter reflector connected to the processor; a memory for storing executable instructions for the processor; The processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the duplex communication method according to any one of claims 7 to 13.

36. A network device, characterized in that: The network equipment includes: processor; a transmitter and a backscatter receiver coupled to the processor; a memory for storing executable instructions for the processor; The processor is configured to load and execute the executable instructions to implement the duplex communication method according to any one of claims 14 to 20.

37. A chip, characterized in that: The chip includes a programmable logic circuit and / or program instructions, and is used to implement the duplex communication method according to any one of claims 7 to 20 when the terminal having the chip is running.

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